When Cyberpunk Edgerunners was announced... I'll be blunt... I really didn't care about it.
I heard what Cyberpunk 2077 was like at release, and I wasn't really willing to give it a chance. While the story and world sounded interesting, I didn't trust that the game would even run on my PC. There were so many horror stories about crashes, glitches, and unfinished sections of the game, that I decided to leave it alone. Sure, later on I heard how things improved, but I guess in my mind I thought "just how much could they have actually fixed?" So when the new Edgerunner anime was gaining attention, I was really confused as to why it was getting so much praise!
I mean, sure. TRIGGER is known for doing some full on crazy over the top series, but was that enough to carry the show? Was it something that was actually worth watching? Or was all of this hype just from fans of the game trying to push it on others? I really wasn't sure, but I didn't plan on finding out. But then something happened.
I was getting married.
My entire life, I always assumed the night before I got married would be your typical bachelor party (but more nerdy). I figured I'd hang out with friends or something, maybe play some games, and then spend a last night at my parents. I guess I could've technically done both, but the way things played out ended up being completely different.
We did the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (so I did hang out with friends), but as me and my wife had just bought our house a few months before, I ended up staying there alone instead. I setup my blankets and pillows on our couch, and before going to sleep I did what I would usually do at night; I searched through streaming services for something to watch.
A lot of the time I'd fall asleep and half awake/sleep me would find something, but considering the next day was such a huge day for me, I was pretty wide awake. I was too... Excited? Nervous? To sleep? I'm not sure how to explain the feeling, but it was something that was keeping me awake. So I searched through service after service, and that's when I came across Cyberpunk Edgerunners on Netflix.
Let's just say, despite not caring about it what so over, giving it a chance is something I don't regret one bit! In fact, I was so impressed with it, I bought Cyberpunk 2077 the very next day, and ended up playing it a little before heading off for my big day. (Yeah, not how I ever thought any of this would go at all!)
Anyway, that's the story of how I got into this series... But what about the show itself? Was it worth it? Or am I just another one of those people joining the hype train?
Well...
Welcome to the World of Cyberpunk:
First of all, Cyberpunk is an already established world thanks to the original RPG. It's filled with lore, set within a city called "Night City," and from the get go the series begins throwing new terms foreign to newcomers.
Of course it didn't take me long to figure out what a runner was, nor did it take me long to understand how people in this world enhance their body and sometimes lose control of themselves in the process, but it's clear that someone already familiar with it would have even less of a learning curve. That being said, this is an original story set within this world, and actually takes place before 2077 itself. So it's both perfect for newcomers, can be watched stand alone, and is great for long time fans as well.
The story itself follows a young man named David. David comes from a poor family where it's just him and his mom trying to survive. Because of his situation David sometimes cuts corners and breaks the law, and that in return causes more issues for him and his mom. When the series first opens up, we see David using a "BD" chip (braindance) to see the final moments of an enhanced human gone crazy known as a "cyberpsycho." In David's case he is watching this for entertainment, but these chips allow you to live someone else's life, and learn things from them.It's a useful, and dangerous, tool, and David shouldn't be experiencing this.
After watching the BD, and then being sent "another experience," David figures it is enough for the morning, and goes off to school. Being poor means he's not able to afford the required technology to attend the school, so David uses his own black market equipment with illegal outdated software installed, and gets in trouble with the school. Of course, this problems don't end there.
Shortly after David gets into an altercation with a fellow student, and the school calls his mom. It's your typical "kid being bad" and "mom angry because she can't keep doing this" situation, but then something unexpected happens... The series gives us an up close and personal look at what it means to live in this world.
While David and his mom are on their way home, a car pulls up along side their car, and the next thing they know they are being shot at. The criminals unload everything they have into David's mom's car, and cause them to crash. David thankfully is "okay," but his mom on the other hand... She spends countless hours in surgery, but ultimately doesn't pull through.
Fed up with his life, and the world as a whole, David, now homeless, does something his mom would've never wanted for him. He breaks into his old apartment, he goes into his mom's old room, and takes a high tech augmentation she had been hiding. He then takes it to an illegal doctor, and has it installed on his back. It's a painful surgery, and his body might reject it, but he takes the chance. Now with his newfound power of speed and strength, David goes back to school, gets his revenge on the stuck-up student that got him in trouble, and then sets out for the streets. His life is over, so he might as well enjoy what little he has left.
After leaving school, David has an unexpected run-in with our second lead character; Lucy. Lucy is a member of a runner group that's making a living by stealing and taking on odd jobs. After Lucy tries to steal David's chip, he stops her and the two work out a deal. David will use his speed from his augments to steal, while Lucy will find the jobs and provide support. The two work out well together, and David feels like he's finally found his place in the world. But how long will it last?
From this point forward, the overall plot of Edgerunners is about David and the new group he joins up with. Throughout the show they all become closer and work together to achieve their goals, while himself David continues to develop as a character. The David we see at the start of the show is not the David we see by the end, and it's the group's experiences that shape the entire cast into who they are by the conclusion. Of course there are a lot of twists and turns along the way, with the ending being one you won't ever forget.
The Presentation:
Although the story is top notch, the presentation of Cyberpunk Edgerunners is outstanding. The series has a unique art style that really suits the Cyber Punk theme, and the animation quality is top notch. Studio TRIGGER did go all out with this one, with even the slow scenes being a visual spectacle. The show isn't long, but every episode is jammed pack with visual flare, and the character designs themselves really pop. But all of this is just a part of what makes Cyberpunk Edgerunners so great. The other is the music!
Featuring tracks from Cyberpunk 2077, the musical choices in the anime series is perfect. "Who's Ready for Tomorrow" by RAT BOY is perfect at setting the tone as David ventures out into the world for the first time, and "I Really Want to Stay at Your House" became an internet sensation for a reason. It's a really nice track that captures David and Lucy's relationship, but it also has so many other meanings built in. By the time you finish the series and go back and hear the song in Cyberpunk 2077, you'll be filled with a mix of emotions. It's perfect, and the same can be said for most of the soundtrack. Everything here fits, and helps set the mood for this emotional ride.
Should you watch it?
If you are a fan of Cyberpunk 2077, or the Cyberpunk series in general, or if you are interested in the futuristic setting, then you really should give it a chance. Or rather, you owe it to yourself!
While you do not need to be a fan of the series to enjoy it, long time fans will for sure get more out of it the first time around. A lot of locations within the series can be visited in the game as well, and nearly everything comes from the original Cyberpunk RPG rulebooks. That being said, Edgerunners is set within the revision created for Cyberpunk 2077, so it's more relevant to 2077 than anything that came before. You can do your research on the series (like I did) to get more of an inside look at what this series is, but it really isn't needed.
Instead, Edgerunners is a perfect entry point, and I strongly recommend starting here. Even if you don't continue on with the game after, it's still a great show on it's own. It's just saying too much more about it would ruin the experience, so I'll cut it short there.
So yes, you should watch it!
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